How long should your dryer last? Consumers’ reports suggest 10 years. Proper dryer maintenance can preserve the appliance for 25 years. However, 17 % of the users encounter challenges with their dryers in the first five years.
We all buy home appliances with the hope it’ll last long. It’s frustrating to regularly repair your dryer. It’s even stressful if you’ve bought a new dryer, once in a while.
It doesn’t have to be the case with your dryer.
Read this article to learn 7 Tips to keep your dryer in Tip-Top Shape.
1. Follow Dryer Maintenance Manuals
Manuals are the primary guide to how you’ll take care of your dryer. The manuals give tips on installation, maintenance, and the appropriate load size.
If it’s your first experience with the dryer, the manuals are ideal training materials. So, why are the manuals essential?
- Procedures help avoid variations in the application of your appliance
- Ensures consistency in caring for your device
- Guides you on how to best use a device
- Helps in troubleshooting questions and answers
- Offers special requirements for dryer maintenance and operation
You can access the manuals online or using hard copies provided by the company. Following manual guides help you avoid damages or breakdown for your drying machine.
2. Don’t Overload Your Drying Machine
Overloading the dryer is a common cause for breakage. Each dryer has a different capacity. Learn the maximum and minimum limits for your drier.
Wondering why overloading the dryer is dangerous?
- Increases lint in the trap: Higher levels of lint prevent the free flow of air.
- Overheats the dryer’s motor, causing burn out: Overloading overworks the machine hence causing overheating.
- Harms the belt, pulley assembly, and spindle bearings
Besides, overloading the dryer causes longer drying time and higher energy bills.
You can prevent your dryer from explosion and breakage by not overloading it.
3. Deep Clean the Drum and Lint
Just because the dryer has a trap, it does not mean there’s no lint. Lint continually builds up in the dryer. If it accumulates for long, it can damage your dryer or even cause a fire.
How to perform dryer maintenance by cleaning the lint?
- Clean the lint trap at least twice a year using a vacuum cleaner.
- Vacuum dry the gap between the dryers drum and the door
- Clear out the external vent on the side of your house
It’s commendable to keep the lint trap as clean as possible. Inspect as often as possible to ensure it’s clean. Avoid overloading the drying machine. It contributes to a high production of lint.
4. Replace the Ventilation Ducts
Majority of the dryers’ vent ducts are made of aluminum or plastic. The material is to ensure flexibility in the replacement of the vent ducts.
Wondering if there are additional costs for the ducts? The ducts are cheap and readily available. More so, they are simple to install. However, the major problem is that they are not safe for use.
The lightweight ducts are easy to smash, and if it’s plastic, it can even melt. Such issues contribute to overheating in the dryer, which may damage the dryer.
If the dryer overheats, the risk can extend to start a fire. Research suggests that 15,970 case of home fire involves washing machines each year.
So how do you avoid such liabilities? Replace the flexible ducts with metal ones.
The following are signs you need to replace the ventilation ducts.
- If the drying time takes longer and longer
- When the dryer or the clothes get too hot
- Notice a burning smell from the dryer
- The vent flap strains to open
- If it has been more than one year before replacement
Constantly replace and inspect your ventilation duct to prevent it from burning or breaking. If you replace the ventilation duct and still has the above issues, then you should take it for repairs.
5. Ensure Dryer’s Stability During Use
Just like the washers, dryers can also lose stability. Poor distribution of loads can cause instability.
If the dryer’s application is often in an unstable position, it can cause some parts of the dryer to fail. Why? Unstable positioning of the dryer results in uneven wear of the machine.
The problem is easy to solve. How? You can shake your dryer to ensure balanced distribution of load. Additionally, position your dryer at a flat position. If you find the dryer still unstable, you can add support underneath.
Note: The manual can also offer you guidance on how to adjust the dryer to a more stable position.
6. Don’t Toss Everything in Your Dryer
The dryers are only designed to dry fabric and not any other material. Some people satiate their curiosity by trying to put the wrong things like toys, purses, or wigs.
Don’t spoil your dryer through the try and error game. The dryer is only purposed for fabric drying. If the dryer is not in use keep its door closed.
In some cases, cats and dogs can make the dryer their habitat. It can lead to bad consequences.
Do you still want to learn more on the right material to put in your dryer? We’ve one more tip for you here.
7. Don’t Leave Your Vent Open
On the outside of the vent space, don’t leave it open without covering it with the screen. The vent space is usually warm. It can, therefore, attract animals like birds to occupy it.
During winter seasons, birds can create nests in the space.
Having birds or rodents in the vent space risks your dryer. It inhibits proper air circulation and makes cause overheating of the dryer motor. Additionally, it can attract unwanted roommates in your home.
Ensure proper dryer maintenance by keeping the vent space covered with the screen.
Final Thoughts
Dryers have helped transition life with fast laundry processes and protection of your clothes. You don’t want to go back to hanging your laundry outdoors or incur additional costs of buying another dryer.
Ensure proper dryer maintenance by avoiding overloads, closing the vent space, and cleaning the machine. It’ll help extend the dryers life span.
Is your dryer giving you nightmares and you can’t fix it? Schedule an appointment with us. We offer same day service.
